1. Condense messaging

You cannot say all things to all people. Nor will people remember the intricate details behind every facet of your offering. You need to keep messaging simple and easy to digest. Focus on the key things you want consumers to take away and the explanatory messaging outlining how to get involved. Keep it simple and straight forward (always remember to KISS).

2. Train your staff

Invest time and money to ensure your staff deliver your key messages in a way that is compelling and on-brand. Your agency should lead the way in making this happen, but make sure to get involved. Meet the team and train them on your brand face to face, letting them engage with it first-hand if applicable. Invariably, this creates a more genuine brand ambassador who communicates far more genuinely and passionately.

3. Get real

Don’t lose sight of the practicalities. Think about the following: sight lines when placing messaging (what messaging is lost when the activation is full of people?). Consumer mindset (what sized collateral will best promote consumers retaining it?) Scope for dwell time (is it better to talk to 10 people for 10 minutes each, or 100 people for one minute each?) Your agency should be doing this thinking for you, but it’s worth sense checking

4. Structure the messaging – for different target audiences/ engagement type.

Map the messaging to ensure that at each stage of the consumer journey, it’s playing a dedicated role. Follow the ‘Attract – Educate – Motivate’ model which sees messaging draw people in, communicate key ideas and drive them to action.

Think about how you may have to skew this messaging for different audience types and/or dwell times. Also keep the brand’s tone of voice in mind with all messaging and don’t forget to conclude with a clear and strong call to action.

5. Don’t be a lemming

Make sure everything you are communicating is for a reason. Don’t follow the crowd unless you have your own reason to do so. For example, don’t use QR codes unless you have compelling content to link people to. Don’t collect data unless you have a plan as to what to do with it. Don’t drive people to your Facebook page unless you have an engagement strategy for the platform.

6. Integrate for consistency

Ensure all your communications touchpoints are consistent. Note that we say ‘consistent’ not ‘the same’ – each channel has its nuances which mean that they may need to interpret messaging in different ways. But ensure there is synergy between the use of imagery, tone of voice, core messaging, etc. The consumer needs to be able to draw the parallels for a consistent message. So use the same core messages and call-to-actions.

7. Adhere to codes

Make sure your communications are in line with marketing and industry regulations. When it comes to the latter, double check your agency are familiar with these. They should be, but you may well be more of an expert. Setting out these parameters from the outset will save you time and money down the line.